Machinery for composing types



(No Mbdel. 7 Sheets-Sheet 1.

F. WIGKS.

MACHINERY FOR GOMPOSING TYPES.

No. 276,947. Patented May 1,1883.

N. PETE-(S4 Pholo-Lvkhugraphen Washinglnm llC.

(No Model.) 7 Sheets-Sheet 2 F. WIOKS.

MACHINERY FOR OOMPOSING- TYPES.

No. 276,947. Patented May 1,1883.

r4. FETKR! Plmummm w. WashingtomhC.

(No Model.) 7 Sheets-Sheet 3.

, F. 'WIOKS.

MACHINERY FOR GOMPOSING TYPES.

Patented May 1, 1883.

K W k v s (No Model.) 7 Sheets-Sheet 5.

F. WIGKS;

MACHINERY FOR UOMPOSING TYPES. No, 276,947. Patented May l, 183g.

. L -1 I I 5 (No Model.) 7 Sheets-Sheet 6'.

1-". WIGKS. MACHINERY FOR UOMPOSING TYPES. No. 276.947. 1 91a. ey iatented Ma -11916 83.

1w ll IIIIIHHI (No Model.) 7 Sheets-Sheen; 7.

F. WIGKS.

. MACHINERY P03 GOMPOSING TYPES.

No. 276,947.. r Patented May 1,1883.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK WIOKS, OFGLASGOW, QOUNTY OF LANARK, SCOTLAND.

MACHINERY FOR COMPOSING TYPES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of LettersPatent No. 276,947, dated May 1,1883.

Application filed February 23, 1881. (No model.) Patented in EnglandApril 16, 1879, No.1,640; in France October 25, 1879, No. 133.350; inGermany November 2, 1879, No.'10,064, and in Belgium March 11, 1881, No.54,076.

' To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, FREDERICK WIGKS, of

Glasgow, in the county of Lauark,North Britain, have inventedImprovements in Machinery for Composing Types, of which the following isa specification. I

M y invention relates to improvements in machinery or apparatus forcomposing-or setting up type.

Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings represents in side elevation amachine or appararatus constructed according to my said invention. Theother figures are details, as hereinafter described.

The race Q, downwhich the types fall to the place where they are finallyset up, consists of two grooves,q 1,, as seen more clearly in thecross-section (drawn to an' enlarged scale) of the said race, Fig. 2.The said grooves are separated by the thin steel. plate The said race Qis inclined to an angle of preferably forty-five degrees to the horizon,and terminates at its lower part in a nose -piece, Q, which is shown invertical section inFig.3 and in longitudinal section in Fig. 4.. Towardthe end of the race Q, one of the two grooves q q is led to a lowerlevelthan the other, as shown inFig. 3, and thereafter the said twogrooves q q incline toward each other, as illustrated in Fig. 4, so thatnear the end of thenose-piece Q one of them is immediately over theother. The bottom of the top groove terminates at this point, so thatthe types descending along the top groove \i ill at this point fall intothe lower groove, and thus all types descending along either groove q orq will eventually emergefrom the same opening, g forming the outlet ofthe said groovesq g from the said nose-piece Q. I

The type-holders R consist of grooved or slotted bars, as shown moreclearlyin F 45,, which represents asectional plan of a portio of thesaid holders B, the width of the grooves in the said holders being notless than the thickness of types to be composed. They are secured to thesides of the race Q step by step,

one above the other, and at the outer side of and at right angles tothelength of each of the grooves q q, and the types are held in thegrooves of these holders 1%, as seen in Fig.5,

so that the bottom type in each holder rests on its side upon a slightstep or raised portion,

ers, that they will not admit of thepassage of more than one of thetypes at the same time.

Pusher-pieces S (shown separately in elevation, seen at right angles toeach other in Figs.

7 and 8 and in plan in Fig. 9,) are pivoted beneath the race Q, onepusher-piece for each of the type-holders, as shown in the side view ofa portion of the race, Fig. 10. Their tailss are connected by rods 8' tothe" ends of the levers 8 two of which are shown separately in Figs. 11and 12. The said levers s are provided with keys or knobs sfleachbearing a letter or sign corresponding to the type in the holder R,before which the pusher S, actuated by the depression of the particularknob or key 8 is situated. The nose of each pusherpiece S, by thedepression of its key, is urged inward and over the step q, as shownwith regard to one of the pushers in Fig. 2, so as to eject the typelying before it from the step g through the opening r and into one ofthe grooves q q of the race Q. The key-knobs s may be arranged in tworows, as illustrated in Figs. 11 and 12, where one key .of each row isshown, the one row being for causing the ejectment of the typeson oneside of the race Q and the other row for the ejectment of the types onthe other side of the said race.

Revolving on pivots in a. bracket-piece, t at the outlet g from the raceat the nose-piece Q is a wheel, T. This wheel T is shown separately inside elevation in Fig. 15, in end elevation in Fig. 16, and in plan inFig. 18 ,in connection with the commencement of the guide U, ashereinafter described. Fig. 17 is a plan showing the said wheel T andits shaft t and 9 the pivots t and the bracket t carrying the saidwheel. Motion of revolution is given to the said shaft by a band passedover a pulley, t, as shown in Figs. 1 and 17, the said band being alsopassed over a pulley upon a shaft,

ICO

' and received as described with regard to the i driven by any suitablemotor. Upon the said wheel T (which ispreferabl y the width of the typesbeing treated with) are ratchet-like teeth or projections i solidtherewith, and of less width than that of the types being treated. Asthe wheel T revolves the projections t pass through a notch or slot, u,of about their own width, in the commencement of the guide U, alongwhich the composed types pass to the galley; and as this guide is of thewidth of the types "there are ledges u (see Fig. 18) at the sides of theneck a, upon which ledges the types are received from project-ions t ofthe wheel T, by reason of the parts of the heel of the types whichproject beyond the side of the projections 15 being caught upon theledges at the side of the notch a. The wheel T, as illustrated, drawn toa. larger scale in Fig. 19, may be made in thin steel or other disks orplates, t with intervening fillingpieces t". The saiddisks t havethereon the ratchet-like teeth 13 projecting beyond the filling-piecest. The parts at the end of the guide U are of a similar construction,being made up of projecting plates a and fillingpieces 11?, so that theteeth on the disks 2?, in revolving, pass through the spaces between thesaid plates a and the type is delivered wheel, Figs. 15, 16, and 18; butthis construction in disks or plates gives a better restingsurface forthe types on the projections of the wheel, and producing such smallopenings in the commencement of the guide U that there is no danger ofthe types slipping thereinto.

The columns of types in the holders B have weights V, Figs. 1 and 5,constructed as shown, orin other suitable manner, so as to bear upon theheels of the types only.

In working the machine the operator sits before the key-board, and thecopy being before him he depresses the keys 8 in the order correspondingto the copy, and the types are thereby ejected by the pushers S into thegrooves q q of the race Q, one after the other, and they, descending thesaid grooves q q, issue from the outlet Q3 from the nose-piece Q", andare received upon a projection t of the revolving wheel T, and aresuccessively delivered, standing face upward, on the ledges u at thesides ofthe notch u in the guide U, along which the succeedingprojection i of the wheel T presses them forward to a galley, Y, Fig.1,and thus a continuous line of composed type is forced forward to thesaid galley, where it is divided into lines by ordinary spacing, or bythe means hereinafter described.

In order to allow of the ejection from the type-holders of two or moretypes at once, I may, as shown in Figs. 13 and 14:, employ one key, 8 toeffect this by attaching this key to a bar, 8, hinged at the side of themachine, or at the back, by strips, either as at s or at s, the saidbars having thereon projections 8 which bear, when the said key isdepressed, upon those of the key-levers, which will cause the ejectionof the desired types at once. The types are arranged in such order alongthe side or sides of the race Q that those ejected by thesecombination-keys will emerge from the race in their proper order. Anyconvenient number of these combination-keys may be employed, the knobs 8upon them being marked with lettersor signs corresponding with the typeswhich will be ejected by their depression. In Fig. 14 several bars 8 ofcombination-keys are indicated as situated beside that illustrated inthe said Fig. 14.

The parts of the machine which act as guides for the types are of courseof such capacity, according to the class of type being treated with, asto accommodate and guide the said In order to dispense with thenecessity for justifying the lines for the column of set-up type byhand-spacing, I make the spacesthat is, the blank pieces of metal usedfor filling in blanks between words and in other places--by stamping,casting, or in other suitable manner, with an opening or openings inthem from front to back. Fig. 1 illustrates spaces on an enlarged scaleso formed with openings therethrough of various forms, the said openingsbeing marked 00. Aline of composed type slightly in excess of a line ofthe column being formed having been pushed forward from thecomposing-machine along the guides U to the galley, where the column orpage is being made, it can be brought to the proper width by pressure,the aforesaid openin gs in the spaces allowing of the compression of thesaid line by the yielding of the said spaces.

The guide U for the composed type leads into the galley Y, Fig. 1. Thesaid galley is shown in view at right angles to the front of the machineat Fig. 20, and is preferably in clined at an angle to the horizon, asshown in Fig. 21, which represents a partial side view of the galley anda transverse section of the guide U; but I do not wish to be, understoodas limiting myself to any particular inclination of galley, as it mayobviously be at any or without inclination, the part at :1 immediatelyopposite the opening of the said guide, being wider than the columnbeing made to allow a line of type longer than the width of the columnbeing moved forward from the guides, as shown at 3 Hinged to anysuitable part of the framework supporting the galleyY is a lever, Z,having attached to it a bar, 2, slidingin a slottypes in their progress,and to keep the types ted guide in line-with "the type to be com-.

pressed. By pressing this bar a inward by means of the leverZthe line oftype is compressed to the width of the column, as shown at 3 I claimjl 1. The combination of inclined race Q, having division-plate g andnose-piece Q, with .Q, having grooves qg', plate q, separating saidgrooves, raised portions or steps q, and

nose-piece Q, of the type-holders R, grooved for the reception of typeslongitudinally-of the race, pivoted pusher-piecesS, and adjustablebrakes w, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. The combination, witha seriesof single.

keys for actuating the pusher-pieces, of combination keys, substantiallyas described, for

depressing two or more of such single keysat a time.

6. The compressible type-spaces made of soft metal, having solid andenlargedenid 993;

tions, and being hollowed or cut away between the said ends, so that thespaces may be compressed by the crushing of the said ends, substantiallyas and for the purpose set forth.

7 In combination with a composing-galley, the compressing-lever,arranged substantially as described, and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

FREDERICK WIOKS.

Witnesses:

DAVID D. AURTON, J AMES SMITH BEGG, Both of 115 St. Vincent Street,Glasgow.

